Combined taillight and illuminated sign



March 1, 1938. COYNE 2,1091565 COMBINED TAILLIGHT AND ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed May 26, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 4 Inventor March 1, 1938. =J J COYNE 2,109,565

COMBINED TAILLIGHT AND ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed May 26, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 /7 I! 5 w/ I I 6 Inventor 4 Jam J n' Patented Mar. 1, 1938 Ui'iED STATES COMBINED TAILLIGH T AND ILLUMINATED GN John J. Goyne, Scranton, Pa. Application May 26, 1936, Serial No. 81,931

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tail lights for automobiles and has for its primary object to provide in a unitary structure a tail light and illuminated advertising sign.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned. character embodying a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which the tail light and the advertising sign are illuminated by a single lamp.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a combined tail light and advertising sign for automobiles embodying means for illuminating the rear license plate.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a tail light and advertising sign for automobiles which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at low cost.

,All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specifica- 5 tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of the invention, showing same mounted on the rear of an automobile.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the invention with the advertising matter omitted.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a casing l of any suitable material. One end portion of the casing l is substantially triangular, as at 2, and

mounted therein is an electric lamp 3. The portion 2 of the casing l is provided with a substantially conical back 4 in which the socket 5 for the lamp 3 is mounted. This is shown to advantage in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings and it will be observed that the socket member 5 projects outwardly from the conical portion 4 to facilitate connection with a conductor wire.

Comparatively wide and narrow vertical partitions 6 and I are provided in the casing l adjacent the lamp 3, said partitions defining a vertically elongated opening 8 for the passage of light from said lamp 3. The end wall 9 of the casing l which is remote from the lamp 3 extends diagonally and mounted thereon is a reflector ill in the form of a mirror. 10

The front of the casing l is open and rabbeted, as at H, for the reception of a glass l2. The glass I2 is secured in position by a retaining frame l3 which is mounted on the casing I. One end portion of the frame I3 is formed to provide 15 a plate M which extends over the substantially triangular end portion 2 of said casing, said plate 14 having a circular opening l5 therein in which a red lens I6 is mounted. Traversing the frame 13 is a bar I! which divides theglass l2 into 20 upper and lower areas to receive advertising or other matter, as at l8 (see Figure 1). In the rear portion of the bottom of the casing l is an elongated window I9 for illuminating the rear license plate 20 of the vehicle. In Figure 1 of the draw- 5 ings the automobile is designated generally by the reference numeral 2|.

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. When the electric lamp 30 3 is energized in the usual manner, said lamp, of course, illuminates the red tail light lens I6. Also, light from the lamp 3 enters the main compartment of the casing I for illuminating the glass sign l2, some of this light passing 35 through the window l9 in a manner to illuminate the rear license plate 20 of the automobile. However, the brilliance of the light entering the main compartment of the casing l is reduced by the partitions 6 and I. In this manner a compara- 4o tively soft light is produced for the advertising sign, said light being reflected by the mirror or reflector ID. The interior of the casing l is suitably colored for the most satisfactory result. Any suitable means may be provided for mounting 45 the device on the automobile. Also, of course, any desired advertising or other matter may be placed on the glass l2.

It is believed that the many advantages of a tail light constructed in accordance with the 50 present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts 55 may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

A tail light of the class described for automobiles comprising an elongated casing having a substantially triangular end portion provided with a rounded extremity corresponding to the arc of a circle, an electric lamp mounted in the rear wall of said end portion concentrically with respect to the circle from which the arc is formed and spaced from said rounded extremity to reflect light from the lamp in a direction toward the opposite end of the casing, spaced partitions in the casing defining a plurality of compartments, said partitions extending vertically inwardly from the front and rear walls respectively of the casing with their adjacent edges in spaced relation to provide a vertical opening substantially equidistantly from the front and rear walls of the casing for the passage of light from said lamp into the other compartment, each of said compartments having glass covered openings in the front walls thereof and a reflector in one end of the casing at the side of the partitions opposite from said lamp and arranged for directing rays of light from the lamp to the opening in said other compartment.

JOHN J. COYNE. 

